U.S. patent application number 09/778397 was filed with the patent office on 2002-08-08 for method of treating inflammation in the joints of a body.
Invention is credited to Dunn, Allan R..
Application Number | 20020107188 09/778397 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 27394444 |
Filed Date | 2002-08-08 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020107188 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Dunn, Allan R. |
August 8, 2002 |
Method of treating inflammation in the joints of a body
Abstract
A process for treating inflammation in a joint whether heat,
redness, pain, swelling and/or stiffness, and for increasing motion
and increasing joint space and correcting malalignment, comprising
the steps of dissolving a quantity of growth hormone
(somatotropin), preferably in purified form, in a buffer solution,
and injecting one time or multiple repeat times, a single dosage of
the mixture of purified growth hormone and buffer solution into the
joint of a body so as to initiate the treatment process.
Inventors: |
Dunn, Allan R.; (North
Miami, FL) |
Correspondence
Address: |
MALLOY & MALLOY, P.A.
2800 S.W. Third Avenue
Historic Coral Way
Miami
FL
33129
US
|
Family ID: |
27394444 |
Appl. No.: |
09/778397 |
Filed: |
February 2, 2001 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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60202561 |
May 10, 2000 |
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60214592 |
Jun 27, 2000 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
514/11.3 |
Current CPC
Class: |
Y10S 530/84 20130101;
A61K 2300/00 20130101; A61K 38/27 20130101; A61K 38/27 20130101;
A61P 19/02 20180101; Y10S 514/886 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
514/12 |
International
Class: |
A61K 038/27 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A method of treating inflammation in a joint of a body
comprising the steps of: a) dissolving a quantity of purified
growth hormone in a buffer solution, and b) injecting a single
dosage of said growth hormone and said buffer solution into said
joint along the joint surface.
2. A method of treating inflammation as recited in claim 1 wherein
said buffer solution has a range of pH between generally about 5.5
and 8.3.
3. A method of treating inflammation as recited in claim 2 wherein
said buffer solution is a phosphate buffer solution.
4. A method of treating inflammation as recited in claim 2 wherein
said buffer solution is Hank's Buffer Solution having a pH of about
8.0 to 8.3.
5. A method of treating inflammation as recited in claim 2 wherein
said growth hormone is species specific so as to be identical to
naturally produced growth hormones.
6. A method of treating inflammation as recited in claim 2 wherein
said growth hormone is biologically engineered to assure maximum
purity and disease elimination.
7. A method of treating inflammation as recited in claim 6 wherein
a range of 0.5 to 10.0 milligrams of said purified growth hormone
is dissolved in generally about 1 to 10 milliliters of said buffer
solution, the total volume of said dosage being dependent upon the
weight of the individual subject being injected, and the size of
the joint.
8. A method of treating inflammation as recited in claim 6 wherein
said single dosage is between generally about 0.025 to 0.249
milligrams of purified growth hormone per Kilogram of body
weight.
9. A method of treating inflammation as recited in claim 6 wherein
about 5.8 milligrams of said purified growth hormone is dissolved
in 1 to 10 milliliters of said buffer solution.
10. A method of treating inflammation as recited in claim 9 further
comprising the step of injecting a second one of said single dosage
into the joint generally about one week later.
11. A method of treating inflammation as recited in claim 10
further comprising the steps of injecting a third one of said
single dosage into the joint generally about one week later.
12. A method of treating inflammation as recited in claim 9 further
comprising the steps of injecting a second one of said single
dosage into the joint generally about two weeks later.
13. A method of treating inflammation as recited in claim 12
further comprising the steps of injecting a third one of said
single dosage into the joint generally about two weeks later.
14. A method of treating inflammation as recited in claim 9 further
comprising the step of injecting a second one of said single dosage
into the joint generally about four weeks later.
15. A method of treating inflammation as recited in claim 14
further comprising the steps of injecting a third one of said
single dosage into the joint generally about four weeks later.
16. A method of treating inflammation as recited in claim 1 further
comprising the step of mixing generally about 0.5 milliliters to 10
milliliters of a local anesthetic with said mixture of growth
hormone and buffer solution.
17. A method of treating inflammation as recited in claim 16
wherein the local anesthetic is Lidocaine.
18. A method of treating inflammation as recited in claim 1 further
comprising the step of mixing between about 0.5 milliliter to 10
milliliters of Lidocaine with said mixture of growth hormone and
buffer solution.
19. A method of increasing a patient's range of motion of a joint
comprising the injection of at least a single dosage of a growth
hormone in a range of 0.025 milligrams to 0.249 milligrams per
kilogram of patient body weight dissolved in a buffer solution.
20. A method of correcting a malalignment in an arthritic joint of
a body, such as a bow-legged deformity, comprising the injection of
at least a single dosage of a growth hormone in a range of 0.025
milligrams to 0.249 milligrams per kilogram of patient body weight
dissolved in a buffer solution.
21. A method of increasing the space between the bone ends of a
patient's joint comprising the injection of at least a single
dosage of a growth hormone in a range of 0.025 milligrams to 0.249
milligrams per kilogram of patient body weight dissolved in a
buffer solution.
22. A method of smoothing the surface of the bone ends of a
patient's joint comprising the injection of at least a single
dosage of a growth hormone in a range of 0.025 milligrams to 0.249
milligrams per kilogram of patient body weight dissolved in a
buffer solution.
23. An anti-inflammatory composition comprising a purified growth
hormone of between 0.025 milligrams to 0.249 milligrams per kilo of
a patient's body weight dissolved in a buffer solution of between 1
to 10 milliliters.
24. An anti-inflammatory composition as recited in claim 23 further
comprising a local anesthetic.
25. An anti-inflammatory composition as recited in claim 23 further
comprising an anti-protease agent.
26. An anti-inflammatory composition as recited in claim 23 further
comprising an anti-enzyme agent.
27. An anti-inflammatory composition comprising a purified growth
hormone of between 0.5 milligrams to 10.0 milligrams per milliliter
of a buffer solution.
28. An anti-inflammatory composition as recited in claim 27 further
comprising a local anesthetic.
29. An anti-inflammatory composition as recited in claim 27 further
comprising an anti-protease agent.
30. An anti-inflammatory composition as recited in claim 27 further
comprising an anti-enzyme agent.
31. An analgesic composition comprising a purified growth hormone
of between 0.025 milligrams to 0.249 milligrams per kilo of a
patient's body weight dissolved in a buffer solution of between 1
to 10 milliliters.
32. An analgesic composition as recited in claim 31 further
comprising a local anesthetic.
33. An analgesic composition as recited in claim 32 wherein said
local anesthetic comprises Lidocain in an amount of generally
between about 0.5 milliliter to 10 milliliters.
34. An analgesic composition as recited in claim 33 further
comprising a local anesthetic agent.
35. An analgesic composition as recited in claim 33 further
comprising an anti-protease agent.
36. An analgesic composition as recited in claim 33 further
comprising an anti-enzyme agent.
37. An analgesic composition as recited in claim 31 further
comprising an anti-protease agent.
38. An analgesic composition as recited in claim 31 further
comprising an anti-enzyme agent.
39. An analgesic composition comprising a purified growth hormone
of between 0.5 milligrams to 10.0 milligrams per milliliter of a
buffer solution.
Description
CLAIM OF PRIORITY
[0001] This application claims priority to the U.S. provisional
patent applications having Ser. Nos. 60/202,561 and 60/214,592
filed on May 10, 2000 and Jun 27, 2000, respectively, both of which
are incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention relates to a process of treating
inflammation in a joint, such as but not limited to a knee joint, a
hip joint or an ankle joint, which has been damaged or which has
otherwise become defective, and thereby, alleviating pain, heat,
redness, swelling, stiffness, and other difficulties typically
associated with a damaged or defective articular cartilage surface
in a joint. More in particular, the present invention is directed
to a process of injecting a mixture of purified growth hormone
(commonly known as somatotropin) and a buffer solution into the
joint of a body, preferably but not limited to that of a human, so
as to initiate the treatment process.
[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0005] The ends of bones which form a joint, including vertebra,
are covered by articular cartilage, which is a thin, fragile tissue
layer and which allows the bone ends to move freely and without
pain. Many arthritic diseases and many degrees of trauma can,
however, cause destruction or deterioration of this fragile layer.
From ancient times and continuing in the present day, people have
suffered through varying degrees of heat, redness, pain, swelling
and/or stiffness of the joints, any one or all of which can often
be associated with deterioration of the articular cartilage in the
joints, whether those joints are associated with walking, such as
the hip, knee or ankle joints or others, such as the vertebra of
the spine, the shoulder, elbow or wrist joints and fingers.
Regardless, damage to and/or the deterioration of articular
cartilage in a joint is often, if not always accompanied by
inflammation. Inflammation, which is typically thought of as heat,
redness, pain, swelling and/or stiffness, when experienced in a
joint, can be crippling.
[0006] As a result, many have tried to develop ways to alleviate
the pain and inflammation associated with arthritis and other
damage to the joints. A number of these efforts have focused on
oral medications such as cortisone derivatives (steroids) and
numerous non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), all of
which have potentially serious side effects. Other efforts have
focused on implants of entire joints, such as the knee or hip,
although typically, a lengthy and complicated surgical procedure is
required, with the patient being forced to undergo a significant
recovery period, including a rigorous and costly regimen of
physical therapy thereafter. Most often, full motion and full
activity are not achieved with the use of these implants. While
medical science has recently developed a variety of new materials
for the joint implants, these implants are often more costly, offer
results which may be only marginally better than those obtained
previously, and do nothing to avoid the hospitalization required
for the surgical implantation of them nor the long periods of
rehabilitation. In addition, it is also possible that one or more
revision surgeries will be needed to replace defective, loose or
infected implants. Further, the general discomfort which might be
associated with utilizing such implants makes an alternative method
all the more desirable.
[0007] The biological action of growth hormone, namely,
somatotropin, has been the subject of the inventor's research.
Heretofore, growth hormone has been used clinically to enhance the
growth of children with short stature. Somatotropin may have other
effects on other organ systems but in the instant application for a
patent, the specific actions of somatotropin related to its effects
on articular cartilage have been focused on by Dunn's research and
are utilized herein. The major targets of somatotropin activity are
believed by the inventor hereof to be vascular sinusoids and
sub-chondral vessels located at the cartilage-bone interface
(sub-chondral bone) and the endothelial cells located therein, and
in addition, nests of stem (pleuripotential) cells in various sites
such as marrow; and the vascular system. More specifically, it is
believed by the inventor hereof that growth hormone has the ability
to stimulate proliferation of stem cells in the marrow and
subchondral vessels and sinusoids. The inventor hereof has also
shown that growth hormone has the ability to form vascular and
multi-lumen sinusoids, known as Glomeruloids, from pre-existing and
mature single lumen vessels in the sub-chondral bone. The inventor
describes this action of growth hormone as Morphogenic Action,
which is a type of rejuvenation of mature monolumen vessels into
fetal-like and/or other immature chondrogenic vascular structures.
This Morphogenic Action, a type of rejuvenation, can also
dematurate a layer of mature sub-chondral bone into a cartilaginous
state comparable to that observed in the neonatal and immature
cartilaginous skeleton.
[0008] The method of this invention relies on a novel use of growth
hormone, namely, somatotropin. More in particular, the method of
the present invention is useful as an anti-inflammatory agent and
is specifically adapted to treat inflammation (heat, redness, pain,
swelling, stiffness, etc.) and/or pain associated with damaged
and/or defective articular cartilage on or at a joint in a body
through the injection directly into the joint of one or more
dosages of purified growth hormone (somatotropin). There is no
reliance on the transplantation of tissue and thus all of the
detrimental conditions of rejection, immune reaction, and other
causes of transplant failure are avoided. Similarly, the present
invention does not require an individual to undergo a lengthy or
complicated surgical procedure, such as those which accompany joint
replacements.
[0009] Until the present invention, growth hormone has not, to the
inventor's knowledge, ever been used to treat merely the
inflammation of tissues such as the soft tissue components within
and surrounding a joint, i.e., synovial lining, capsule, and
ligaments and articular cartilage and/or the pain associated
therewith. Of course, the inventor herein has heretofore focused on
growth hormone as a means for regenerating articular cartilage in a
joint, for which U.S. Pat. No. 5,368,051 was awarded, incorporated
herein by reference, but he has since improved and refined the
applications for which growth hormone may be used, as set forth in
greater detail, below.
[0010] Accordingly, the method of the present invention provides a
much needed improvement in the treatment and elimination of
ailments associated with the deterioration or destruction of the
articular cartilage surface of a joint, including pain,
inflammation of the soft tissue components within and surrounding
the joint, including heat, redness, pain, swelling or stiffness.
The method of the present invention also is directed towards
providing for the reappearance or increase of space between bone
ends and restoration of normal alignment of a limb, such as a leg,
and including the restoration of normal or nearly normal
motion.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0011] The present invention is directed towards a method of
treating inflammation and pain in a joint separating two or more
bones. It is pointed out that for purposes of this application,
inflammation means pain, joint stiffness, redness, heat and/or
swelling, etc.
[0012] The method comprises an initial step of dissolving a
quantity of growth hormone in a buffer solution and then injecting
the resulting mixture as a single loading dose into the joint
cavity where it will lessen the inflammation of the synovial
lining, joint capsule, ligaments and articular cartilage. If
desired or needed, additional injections of growth hormone of a
single dosage can be injected from one day to several weeks later
and after a first set of single or multiple injections, several
additional sets of single or multiple injections may be given so as
to maintain any improvement of the function of the joint.
[0013] In one alternative embodiment, the method of the present
invention may comprise an additional step of mixing an amount of
Lidocaine, anywhere from about 0.5 milliliter to 10 milliliters,
and ideally about 1 to 3 milliliters of Lidocaine with the mixture
of growth hormone and buffer solution. It is contemplated that
other injectable anesthetics aside from Lidocaine might also be
used with the present invention.
[0014] It is a primary object of the present invention to provide a
method for reducing the inflammation of tissue located in or at the
joints of a body as well as pain arising at or within the joint of
a body without requiring a surgical procedure.
[0015] It is also a primary object of the present invention to
provide a new treatment for pain and inflammation in the joint of a
body which relies upon a lower dosage of growth hormone and an
alternative buffer solution other than that described previously in
the applicant's U.S. Pat. No. 5,368,051 directed to regenerating
articular cartilage.
[0016] A feature thought to arise following treatment of a joint
with the present invention is that contact or near contact between
the bone-to-bone surfaces is reversed, meaning that a separation,
distance or space between the bony surfaces is restored, presumably
but perhaps not exclusively because the treatment causes some
resumption of growth of articular cartilage, such as that which has
been worn down.
[0017] An advantage of the present invention over that disclosed in
the Applicant's previous patent is that a range of motion is
restored to a joint following treatment.
[0018] Another advantage of the present inventive treatment is the
smoothing of irregular joint surfaces and sub-chondral bone and
also a reversal of malalignment of the limb following treatment.
The present invention thereby eliminates or substantially
alleviates ailments in the joints.
[0019] These and other objects, features and advantages of the
present invention will become more clear when the drawings as well
as the detailed description are taken into consideration.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0020] For a fuller understanding of the nature of the present
invention, reference should be made to the following detailed
description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in
which:
[0021] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a joint surface
illustrating a deteriorated articular cartilage on the lower joint
surface.
[0022] FIG. 2 is an isolated view illustrating the injection of a
growth hormone and buffer solution in the joint cavity.
[0023] Like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the
several views of the drawings.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0024] The present invention is directed specifically towards a
method of treating inflammation and associated pain in a joint,
such as one having damaged or defective articular cartilage 10.
Articular cartilage 10, which is present between bones 15 at a
joint 20, provides a bearing type surface for facilitated movement
between the bones 15. If articular cartilage is damaged or
deteriorated, as represented by reference numeral 30 in the
drawings, this can result in a person's experiencing significant
heat, redness, pain, swelling, stiffness and/or malalignment of the
limb or joint, and can even be crippling to some individuals, such
as those suffering from a trauma or other ailments which destroy
the joint surface. The articular cartilage 10 is a resilient layer
of tissue which covers the ends of bones 15, and it has been
traditionally assumed that once gone, it cannot be regrown or
regenerated, at least until the work by the inventor hereof, some
of which has been set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 5,368,051.
[0025] The method of the present invention is a significant
improvement over what is known in the art for treating the
sometimes excruciating pain which individuals experience in one or
more of the joints of their bodies. For example, the present
invention does not involve a surgical procedure, which would
require some recovery therefrom, nor any type of transplantation of
tissue. The method of the present invention, which is believed to
offer swift relief to the heat, redness, pain, swelling, stiffness
or other inflammatory symptoms experienced by individuals suffering
from damaged articular cartilage in a joint, offers an improvement
over the method described in the inventor's previous U.S. Pat. No.
5,368,051 by relying upon the utilization of a lower dosage of
growth hormone and of an alternative buffer solution, and if
desired, the addition of injectable anesthetics. The method of the
present invention is thought to be effective as a result of the
discovery that in addition to the metaphyseal growth plate which
exists near the ends of bones and which makes the bones grow during
the immature and adolescent periods, there is also an articular
growth plate at the joint surface. The metaphyseal growth plate,
once achieving full growth within the bone, ceases to function in
an adult and disappears. The articular growth plate, however,
remains intact, although growth-inactive, at the joint surface in
the adult. When properly stimulated by injecting purified growth
hormones in the joint, including an anesthetic if desired, as in
the method(s) of the present invention, there would be no need for
surgically exposing the joint nor for debriding it; the pain and
inflammation associated with the damaged articular cartilage is
relieved, and this is thought to be because the articular growth
plate is stimulated so as to resume active growth.
[0026] With reference now to FIG. 1, when an articular cartilage
defect as at 30 is present in the joint of an individual, whether a
hip joint, knee joint, ankle joint or other type of joint, such
that it causes him or her sufficient pain to seek out medical
treatment, it is preferable that the individual be required to
undergo certain tests in an effort to determine whether treatment
in accordance with the present invention is advisable. For example,
it is preferred that the individual undergo a complete physical
examination by a licensed physician, including any X-rays, MRIs,
and/or other laboratory work that may be recommended to hopefully
rule out the presence of serious, acute or chronic illnesses and/or
whether the individual has a pre-existing excess amount of growth
hormone. That is because it is preferred that such persons would
not be treated in accordance with the present invention.
[0027] Turning more specifically to the method of the present
invention, it is directed preferably for use on humans; however, it
can be similarly effective with other animals so long as the
necessary growth hormone, preferably purified growth hormone, is
utilized. It is preferred that the growth hormone be species
specific which means that human growth hormone would be used on
humans; cattle (bovine) growth hormone would be used on cattle; and
horse growth hormone would be used on horses, etc. More in
particular, it is preferred that the growth hormone (known as
somatotropin) utilized be identical to naturally produced growth
hormones of that species. If a biologically engineered hormone
alternative were to be used, it should have an amino acid sequence
identical to the natural hormone. In the most preferred
embodiments, the growth hormone is biologically engineered to
exactly duplicate the natural hormone and to assure maximum purity,
and avoid the possibility of transmitting disease. For example, if
the growth hormone is to be prepared from pituitary glands
retrieved from cadavers, the hormone preparation may transmit rare
forms of neurological disease even though it may be highly
purified.
[0028] More in particular, the method of the present invention
generally comprises the steps of dissolving a quantity of growth
hormone, preferably somatotropin that has ideally been biologically
engineered so as to be in a purified state, in a buffer solution
and then injecting the resulting solution into the joint having
damage which causes an individual to experience pain or
inflammation. The quantity of growth hormone to be dissolved in the
buffer solution is discussed in greater detail below. The purified
growth hormone is typically in the form of a powder and as such,
may be readily dissolved in a buffer solution. Preferably, the
buffer solution has a range of pH between 5.5 and 8.3, although
more preferably, the range of pH is between 6.0 and 8.0. Generally,
buffer solutions include a saline solution and have a pH range of
approximately 7.0 to 7.4 which is the range of biological pH. In a
preferred embodiment, the buffer solution comprises a phosphate
buffer which may also include a preservative. In an alternative
embodiment, the buffer solution is Hank's Buffer Solution having a
higher pH range of about 8.0. Other preparations of purified growth
hormone may, due to their chemical composition, require buffer
solutions of other ranges of pH.
[0029] The growth hormone to be dissolved in the buffer solution
can be in a range of between 0.5 milligrams and 10.0 milligrams of
growth hormone per milliliter of buffer solution, although a most
preferred dosage of about 5.0 to 7.0 milligrams growth hormone, and
ideally, 5.8 milligrams of growth hormone per milliliter of buffer
solution would be used. This dosage is thought to be operative in
accordance with the present inventive method for most human
individuals. An alternative dosage to be administered can be more
closely related to the person's and/or animal's weight, and will be
in the preferred range of 0.025 milligrams to 0.249 milligrams per
Kilogram of body weight.
[0030] Once the growth hormone and buffer solution have been mixed,
a single dosage of the mixture is injected to the joint, as
illustrated in FIG. 2. The growth hormone is injected, such as by
utilizing a syringe 70, into the joint space and not directly into
the bone 15 or tissue. In this manner, it may flow over the entire
joint surface and react initially with the tissues on the surface
and then with all the vascular units 40 at the bone-cartilage
interface. A portion of the purified growth hormone may be absorbed
into the bloodstream after about four hours. One of the systemic
effects associated with this absorption into the general
circulation will be to stimulate production of stem cells in the
marrow, vascular system and other areas outside the joint. The
growth hormone will cause a reaction in the subchondral vascular
structures so as to promote local production of endothelial derived
stem cells and also to attract pleuripotential cells to the
sinusoidal layer of the bone, the pleuripotential cells being
collected in these vascular structures. The reaction will initiate
cell layer growth at the sub-chondral layer, and it is believed
will eventually produce enough cartilage to form additional joint
surface and lead to there being an increased space between the
bones of the joint being treated in accordance with the present
invention. Depending on the individual patient's condition,
repeated, periodical injections of the growth hormone may be
required. For example, another single dosage may be injected into
the joint in about four weeks, and repeated in another four weeks.
Injections could be given and repeated at other time intervals,
however, such as every two weeks. Alternatively, single or multiple
injections can be given one day, several days, to several weeks or
months apart. Such repeated injections of somatotropin or growth
hormone may be necessary in situations where a patient suffers from
a disease which will continuously impair or destroy the cartilage
surface, or antagonize the action of the growth hormone. It is
further contemplated that the injection of growth hormone according
to the present invention could include the addition of chemical
substances which will block or impede the antagonistic action of
proteases, present in certain diseases, that might impair or
prevent the beneficial action of the growth hormone within the
joint.
[0031] In an alternative embodiment, the method of the present
invention may comprise an additional step of mixing Lidocaine or
another local anesthetic with the mixture of growth hormone and
buffer solution prior to injection into the joint. In this
embodiment, the amount of Lidocaine or other anesthetic to be mixed
with the growth hormone and buffer solution may be anywhere from
0.5 milliliters to 10 milliliters, although preferably, about 1 to
3 milliliters will be used.
[0032] From the preceding, it is recognized that the present
invention may also be considered to include a beneficial
anti-inflammatory composition and/or an analgesic composition, both
of which may, of course, be utilized within the previously defined
methods. Specifically, the anti-inflammatory and/or analgesic
composition may comprise a purified growth hormone of between 0.025
milligrams to 0.249 milligrams per kilo of a patient's body weight
dissolved in a buffer solution of approximately between 1 to 10
milliliters, preferably as described with regard to the method of
treatment, or a purified growth hormone of approximately between
0.5 milligrams to 10.0 milligrams per milliliter of the buffer
solution, also preferably as previously recited. Further, a local
anesthetic agent, anti-protease agent and/or anti-enzyme agent may
be included therewith. In the case of the local anesthetic, it may
preferably include Lidocain in an amount of generally between about
0.5 milliliter to 10 milliliters.
[0033] Since many modifications, variations and changes in detail
can be made to the described preferred embodiment of the invention,
it is intended that all matters in the foregoing description and
shown in the accompanying drawings be interpreted as illustrative
and not in a limiting sense. As examples, the present invention is
also claimed in terms of a method for increasing a patient's range
of motion in a joint as well as reducing the mal-alignment of a
patient's arthritic joint, the latter of which can be characterized
as a bow-legged deformity when the joint involved is the knee. In
other words, it is the inventor's belief that the intra-articular
injection(s) of growth hormone into joint(s) restores normal
alignment of osteo-arthritic and post traumatic arthritic knees,
such that a bow leg deformity may disappear and the leg can regain
normal alignment, and further, or alternatively, that it can
restore normal or nearly normal motion in both extension and
flexion in osteo-arthritic and post traumatic arthritic knees or
other joints. This increased range of motion can be assisted by
therapeutic exercise(s), which normally, without treatment in
accordance with the present invention, would be extremely painful.
In many cases then, therapeutic exercises can only be carried out
following treatment with the present invention in as much as the
present invention reduces the pain experienced by the patient so as
to permit the exercise(s) to occur at all. As another example, the
inventor believes that the method of the present invention can be
used to treat and/or increase the joint spaces between the
vertebrae of the spine, as well. Thus, the scope of the invention
should be determined by the appended claims and their legal
equivalents.
[0034] Now that the invention has been described,
* * * * *